Fishermen Rescue Rare Deep Sea ‘Oreo’ From Predator’s Belly

The sea is always full of surprises….one fish’s unlucky day became another’s second chance. Fish Hoek, South Africa (27 May 2026) – It was just another morning on the... The post Fishermen Rescue Rare Deep Sea ‘Oreo’ From Predator’s Belly appeared first on Good Things Guy.

May 27, 2026 - 11:44

Fishermen Rescue Rare Deep Sea ‘Oreo’ From Predator’s Belly

The sea is always full of surprises….one fish’s unlucky day became another’s second chance.

Fish Hoek, South Africa (27 May 2026) – It was just another morning on the water for the crew of a familiar Fish Hoek vessel, until a catch turned into a rescue mission nobody expected.

“Local fishing vessel AJ — operated by Greenfish SA out of our coastline — had one of those days recently that you simply don’t forget.* shares Liezl Pye of the Fish Hoek Community group on Facebook.

Greenfish SA, which operates sustainable, low-impact handline fishing from the Southern coast, had caught something.

“After landing a beautiful yellowfin tuna on handline, the crew did what responsible fishermen do – immediately iki jimi and gutted the fish to preserve quality. Standard practice. Except this time, what happened next was anything but standard.”

Then they noticed something peculiar.

“Inside the stomach… something was still moving.” shares Pye. “The fish had only just eaten – and its prey was very much alive. The crew carefully transferred the little survivor into a bucket of seawater, refreshing it throughout the day, and nursed it back to strength before releasing it back into the ocean.”

Photo Credit: Liezl Pye via #FishHoekCommunity on Facebook.

As Pye goes on to explain, the rescued creature was identified as an ‘Oreo’ – a rare one!

“After some research, they identified it as an ‘Atlantic Oreo’ (Oreosoma atlanticum) – a deep-water species so rarely encountered alive at the surface that this was a first sighting in all the skipper’s years on the water.”

These fish, when juvenile, look almost alien, covered in spikes, but as they grow older, they ‘smooth out’ and ‘look less dramatic’, shares Pye, in the group. These ‘Oreos’ are deep-sea creatures, and so they have oversized eyes adapted for dark, deep waters.

“Surface encounters are genuinely rare – most people will never see one”

The sea is always full of surprises.

“This is exactly the kind of moment that reminds us how much of the ocean right on our doorstep remains unknown and unseen.” shares Pye. “Our waters are remarkable – and the people who work them respectfully are part of what makes this coastline special.”